


As Luck Would Have It

by rachelvanbora



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 07:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelvanbora/pseuds/rachelvanbora
Summary: Martin has no cash for Christmas gifts, Douglas dabbles in limericks again and Herc sees Arthur in the Christmas mode for the first time. All very fluffy.





	As Luck Would Have It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Glowbug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowbug/gifts).



> Expanded version of Fandot Secret Santa gift for Glowbug. Jocular and incompetent mention of "Ekeltraining/disgust training", hope it isn´t a trigger.

Martin: I am going to ask for a pay rise.  
Douglas : Ah yes, the talk. Face to face, heart to heart, CEO to CEO.  
Martin: What?  
Douglas: You both are running a small profit-making company, aren´t you?  
Martin: Extremely small. Especially the profit part. ( _a beat_ ) Douglas, do you think she´d be flattered if I asked her for pointers?  
Douglas: Oh, Carolyn is very happy to give pointers. Though most people just call them orders.  
Martin: Wish me luck.

( _next day_ )  
Douglas: How did it go?  
Martin: Well, really well. After all, I am still young, healthy, unmortgaged and not a sole carer.  
Douglas: By the sound of it, you can count yourself lucky she didn´t talk you into paying her.  
Martin: Ha-ha. Never. Not even close. Ehm. ( _a beat_ ) Close shave, really.  
Douglas: Oh dear.  
Martin: I didn´t really expect a raise, but still, some extra cash would have been nice. Christmas gifts, and all that.  
Douglas: Come to think of it, I never shopped for a princess. What´s it like?  
Martin: I suppose it would be really nice, if I was a monarch.  
Douglas: Oh, cheer up. Something will come up.  
Martin: At this point even Grinch would help.

( _three days later, 23rd of December_ )  
Carolyn: Douglas, we weren´t supposed to land in Zurich for another thirty minutes. Are you smuggling perishables again?  
Martin: At least three crates-worth. And he almost made me fly through a storm.  
Herc: ( _entering the flying deck_ ) Four hours turnaround is entirely unreasonable, especially when you have three hours of opera planed. How come you´re shaved off only half an hour, Douglas? Have you been pusyfooting around stormclouds again?  
Carolyn: Three hours of opera? I suppose I should call myself lucky you didn ´t sandwich a snowboarding course into the interval.  
Herc: Don´t be ridiculous. We have a ice carving workshop scheduled for the interval.  
Martin: No pay, no cash for Christmas gifts, but a boss with an icepick. Now my life´s complete.  
Herc: Oh, stop whining. As soon as you have dropped us off at the Opera house, you can borrow my car.  
Martin: That´s ... that´s awfully nice of you Herc. Thank you. But what for?  
Douglas: Tonight, Theresa is getting Maxi a watch for Christmas. What you think Herc, Bahnhoffstrasse?  
Herc: There´s no other place.  
Martin: How did you know that? Never mind, that´s great, I can pick her up! Drive her around a bit. For four hours. She´ll be thrilled.  
Douglas: Seeing how the two of you met, she probably would be. But you can drive her here. By the time you arrive, the dinner will be ready.  
Martin: Dinner?  
Arthur: Dinner for two, Skip. Served on board.  
Douglas: Of an antique aircraft, no less.  
Martin: So the crates...?  
Arthur: Douglas cooked. Didn´t let me touch a thing.  
Douglas: Oh, it´s just some jelly from New Delhi, cattle from Seattle...  
Douglas/Arthur/Herc: Merry Christmas, Martin.  
Martin: Thank you guys. I don´t know what to say. I feel so bad for not having anything for you.  
Herc/Douglas: Don´t be silly.  
Carolyn: Don´t feel bad. At least you gave me a reason for not letting you use the APU.  
Martin: Gourmet dinner in complete darkness. And I suppose it won´t take long to match the outside temperature of 10 below zero.  
Arthur: Don´t worry Skip. I brought these!  
Martin: Christmas lights?  
Douglas: Enough Christmas lights to decorate a White House. Or two. And, in the back, there happens to be a huge and luxurious sheep rug from Prague.  
Carolyn: Is that so? I could be persuaded not to raise a Talisker theft charge in exchange for such a rug. Do be careful when you use it, Martin.  
Herc: We really should get moving, Carolyn. Martin?  
Martin: Coming.  
Carolyn: ( _on her way out_ ) Have you ever heard of Ekeltraining, Herc?

Arthur ( _decorating GERTI_ ): What is an Ekelgraining, Douglas?  
Douglas: Ekeltraining. Let me explain it like this: you don´t like olives, do you?  
Arthur: They´ re...not brilliant.  
Douglas: Imagine that you trained yourself to tolerate them by putting them into any meal you eat.  
Arthur: Agrh. Does that mean that mum´s going to put sheep rugs all over our place? And Portacabin? And GERTI too? We could be like Flintstones Air! That would be brilliant.  
Douglas: I´m not sure Martin would agree.  
Arthur: No, Skip´s very strict. Maybe we should leave a special warning for Theresa.  
Douglas: What a romantic thought.  
Arthur: You know, something like: „Dear Theresa, don´t ever try to transport imaginary animals in the flight deck. Yours truly, Christmas Elves.“  
Douglas: Or, as they say in Limerick:  
Christmas is coming and it must be merry,  
but experienced Crieff-watchers have learned to be wary.  
It might feel a bit dated,  
yet certain grounds are sacred.  
No otters in the flight deck, not even imaginary.  
Arthur: Yes!  
Douglas: No. They ´ll be OK. You´re not going to use the rest of the lights?  
Arthur: I am. These are for the Opera. Want to come and watch?  
Douglas: Why on earth would I want to- oh, whom I am kidding. Lead the way.

( _Night. The Zurich Opera House. Herc and Carolyn are strolling back from their ice-sculpting course_ )  
Herc: I just wish that thing you made could be preserved forever.  
Carolyn: Oh, come on. Nothing lasts forever. And a very good thing too, when it comes to first-time ice carving attempts.  
Herc: It was a masterpiece.  
Carolyn: Well, if you say so...  
Herc: Massive wingspan, four engines, that´s the distinctive shape of Lockheed C-130 Hercules.  
Carolyn: I was making a Christmas tree!  
Herc: Never, those were turboprops.  
Carolyn: Decorations.  
Herc: A declaration? Of tender sentiments...?  
Carolyn: No, no way. But speaking of declarations ( _urgently_ )...Keep looking at me.  
Herc: I always keep looking at you. But those enormous lights spelling " **Carolyn &Herc. Hooray!**“ all over the Zurich Opera House are also rather hard to miss.  
Carolyn: Damn.  
Herc: Yes. I need to raise my game.


End file.
